Illustration of terrier
: any of various usually small energetic dogs originally used by hunters to dig for small game and engage the quarry underground or drive it out
Examples of terrier in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wild Thang, meanwhile, has helped raise money to evacuate seven of his fellow Pekingese from Ukraine, and another competitor, Ozzie – a 10-year-old terrier mix – visits senior centers and takes care of foster kittens.
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Issy Ronald, CNN, 24 June 2024
Last year, Hobie, a one-eyed terrier mix, chose to donate to PUP Laguna Beach, the fundraising arm of Laguna Beach Animal Shelter — the shelter that helped Hobie find a family.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 20 June 2024
Rosco, a 3-year-old brindle terrier mix, was at an Ohio shelter for 132 long days, which started to chip away at his energetic and loving personality, the Jefferson County Animal Shelter said in a June 9 post on Facebook.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 14 June 2024
The 3-year-old terrier mix had reportedly escaped from an auto garage where Mehrad was working in July, and never returned.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrier 
Issy Ronald, CNN, 24 June 2024
Last year, Hobie, a one-eyed terrier mix, chose to donate to PUP Laguna Beach, the fundraising arm of Laguna Beach Animal Shelter — the shelter that helped Hobie find a family.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 20 June 2024
Rosco, a 3-year-old brindle terrier mix, was at an Ohio shelter for 132 long days, which started to chip away at his energetic and loving personality, the Jefferson County Animal Shelter said in a June 9 post on Facebook.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 14 June 2024
The 3-year-old terrier mix had reportedly escaped from an auto garage where Mehrad was working in July, and never returned.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrier
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Cite this Entry
“Terrier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrier. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terrier
noun
ter·ri·er
ˈter-ē-ər 
: any of various usually small energetic dogs originally used by hunters to drive game animals from their holes
Etymology
Middle English terryer "a small dog used for hunting burrowing animals," from early French (chen) terrer, literally "earth dog," from terre "earth," derived from Latin terra (same meaning)
Word Origin
Today most terriers are kept as pets. However, there was a time when the dogs were widely used for hunting. Terriers are usually small dogs with short legs, and they were used to dig game animals such as foxes, badgers, and weasels out of their holes. The dogs were also trained to go into a hole after a game animal and drive it out. The French name for these dogs was chen terrer, meaning "earth dog." English borrowed only the word terrier, which can be traced back to Latin terra, meaning "earth."
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